Asthma
 

Hi guys

My sons suffers from really bad asthma and I was wondering if anybody else who has migrated has had problems getting use to the humidity in Oz, only we went to Cyprus last year when it was over 100 degrees and he could hardly breath.

If anybody can let me know how they have found it out there it would be good to know?

Kind regards

Debbie, Lancaster, UK

Re: Asthma
 

Hmm... I have asthma and it was really bad when I was a kid... I lived in Cyprus (Episkopi) for 2 years in the early 70's with no ill effects... Don't think it'll be the humidity, more the general heat... But I got used to it no problem... but then I did come from spending 2 years in Singapore... :)

Re: Asthma
 

Debbie, depends on where you would be in Australia.

http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/

Hope that is of some help to you.

Re: Asthma
 

Here in Qld my wife's asthma has improved greatly over the last few yrs.

Re: Asthma
 

we are hoping that our son's asthma will also improve because we have found that when ever we go on holiday - be it abroad or in the UK - his asthma greatly improves once we leave the midlands.......need i say more:rolleyes:

(so i will be keeping an eye on this one to read people's comments)

Re: Asthma
 

Yep pollution is a major cause of asthma. We lived on the Humber bank in NE Lincs, we now live in a very rural community with very little pollution, apart from when it's bushfire season that is:unsure:

Re: Asthma
 

My eldest has asthma, but since moving to Brisbane hes never needed his inhaler once!!!:thumbup:

Re: Asthma
 

I used the brown and blue inhalers daily when I lived in Cornwall.
Don't need any here in Cairns.

Scientifically I don't know why.
My guess is a change from the cool and damp to the humid and warm.

Re: Asthma
 

G'day,

My partner has had, pretty bad, asthma most of her life. The day we arrived in QLD it literally disappeared... I kid you not. Interestingly she went back to the UK last week, family reasons, and her asthma returned with full vengeance. She had to visit a Dr and get some salbutamol/ventolin/the blue one to help relieve her symptoms.

According to the Drs I speak to over here, I'm actually a pharma rep who 'touts' asthma medication, this is not unusual. Everyone expects the humidity to be a problem but often it isn't, obviously it will be different for each person depending what their triggers are i.e. cold, exercise, allergies, damp etc.

I'm sure you and your son will have no problem finding a Dr to give you some great respiratory advice when you arrive.

Cheers.


NB. The most important thing with 'medical advice', especially that found on the internet, is there is no such thing as one answer for everyone!

Re: Asthma
 

Aus has one of the worst asthma rates in the world.
Personally I think that could be todo with all the food additives/ colours they use here.

Re: Asthma
 

A big reason for that is that allergies that trigger respiratory problems are no longer investigated, Gp's routinely prescribe Ventolin and write up the patient as asthmatic.
While our son was in NZ for a year he suddenly woke up breathless one morning his wheezing and breathing problems were a worry for my folks who were his guardians at the time. They took him along to a GP who instead of diagnosing asthma carried out a series of tests [prick tests] It turned out Josh was suffering a reaction to the pollen from a species of pine tree in abundance in the area. When they moved on, to a different location, his problems eased and eventually disappeared. Had he not had the tests and been written up as an asthmatic he would have been unable to pursue a number of careers and been excluded from his latest love Scuba diving.

Re: Asthma
 

If the humidity does affect him move down to South Australia. No humidity here (well maybe a week all year!) :)

Re: Asthma
 

Tell me about it, our some has eczema all the docs seem to want to do is stick loads of strong steroid cream all over him and didn't seem to care about the cause.
Took alot of effort on my wifes part to get him looked at, also alot of reading up on the internet.
Turns out the eczema is dietary, so now the eczema is under control without the need for drugs / cream.

Re: Asthma
 

G'day,

It's not actually very common for a GP to prescribe ventolin, especially as it's available over the counter in pharmacies here.

A problem a lot of GPs face is that they prescribe either an inhaled corticosteroid, long acting beta agonist (ventolin is a short acting beta agonist) or a combination medication but the patients end up just using ventolin because they thinks it's working the best. The irony is that this isn't the case, all it offers is short term relief (6hrs max) and does nothing to actually treat the underlying problem.

Having said that there are certainly a lot of GPs who think that the diagnosis of asthma is over used and I have spoken to a number of Drs who say that the understanding of asthma is better in NZ than in Oz, probably due to the weather there!

Cheers.


N.B Another reminder that 'medical advice' from the internet should not be taken as gospel.

Re: Asthma
 

Ditto, I needed the brown one twice a day and also the odd puff of the blue one. Here I've used the blue one probably three times in 18 months and never used the brown.

We are in WA. The only time I have noticed my asthma can be bad is if there's a bushfire closeby, the smoke can make me breathless, but otherwise no issues with heat or humidity. :thumbup: